Stained Glass Windows

I was delighted our third graders at morning mass knew the four marks of the church today, since it wasn't a question they would be anticipating based on today's gospel. Jesus sent the Twelve in mission two-by-two to preach and heal. Our church traces its origin back to Jesus' Twelve disciples, hence the 4th mark or characteristic of the church, apostolic.

Every pope in modern times has affirmed devotion to the Sacred Heart, an idea which when it was first introduced to the church after almost one hundred centuries seemed strange to some. It is difficult to trace the roots to the devotion, but some feel it began with the piety surrounding the wounds of Christ, of which his wounded heart always held primacy. It was His last; it was His deepest. Critics of the devotion thought that reverence to a body part, especially a human body part of Christ denied his full divinity and was akin to some practices in nature worship. Many Protestants and even Eastern Orthodox Christians avoid this devotion.

There is a long list of saints and blessed who promoted the devotion, including the Jesuit and Dominican orders themselves. Most famously perhaps, the revelations of St. Mary Mary Alacoque popularized the devotion and popes, especially since Pius XI have written about it, grounding devotion to the Sacred Heart on solid theological and ecclesial footings. Saint Pope John Paul II's writings are particularly suited for the modern reader.

At least two essential elements mark the devotion to the Sacred Heart: reparation and mercy. We cooperate with the reparation of sins by Jesus whenever we offer prayer and penance for the indifference or offenses of ourselves or others. We are also bathed in an endless font of mercy and forgiveness by the blood and water flowing in love from Christ's wounded side.

September 14 was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, our patronal feast, and we defer its commemoration until a weekend so that many more members of our parish family may pray together. Join us at Mass on this festive and joyful occasion. There will be hospitality after the 10:30 AM mass. Check our our just-finished Hospitality Room in the St. Joseph Room.

The Finding of the True Cross window on the west wall of the church depicts the story of St. Helena's discovery of the cross through a divine healing. Since its cleaning and restoration, there are spectacular views of the window at various times of the day, especially during the fall.

Monday also commemorates the first year anniversary dedication of our new church, another cause for great joy.

P.S. This is a "before cleaning" picture. We'll have to take an "after restoration" picture for comparison.

Images of Matthew, Mark and Luke have joined the image of St. John in our sanctuary.

St. Matthew is symbolized by an angel or winged man, St. Mark by a winged lion, St. Luke by a winged bull and St. John by an eagle.

These iconographic representations of the evangelists come from the Book of Kells. The book has a connection with St. Columcille (Columba) - the third window from the east on the southern nave of Holy Cross - and is sometimes called the Book of Columba, since by tradition it survived Viking raids on Iona from at least the 9th century.

Beyer Studios has crafted a design for the two exterior windows on the north transept using the stained glass we already own from the former St. Francis of Assisi Church in Germantown, Philadelphia.

As you recall, the original windows were quite a bit bigger than our church permitted, so we have scenes from each of the windows illustrating events in the life of St. Francis. Four of them were used to fashion the window between St. Francis and St. Clare, including a scene where Francis blesses Clare.